Mind Over Matter
by ToMyDearestForsaken
Summary: Fred is coping after the battle, and only one can cure the nightmares.  HG/FW Soon to be lemony/sexy.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello everybody! It's been a while since I wrote a fic, and therefore, I have decided to start again with my new obsession! Fremione! This first chapter is incredibly short, but I plan on putting up another chapter in a bit. Also, I am a bit of a romance novelist (aka I like a little bit of lemony/smutty stuff). But, if you don't like it, you can at least read this chapter and go "Aww! That was cute!" and then stay away for the remainder of the fanfiction._

_Also, J.K. Rowling has more talent in her pinky finger than I do in my entire body, so she made these characters and I'm only writing with them to make me happy. She owns all of it._

_ENJOY!_

Fred was coping. Sure, there was still a ringing in his ears, and sometimes he still had headaches, but he was surviving.

Just barely…

The nightmares were debilitating though. He would wake up, drenched in sweat, shaking uncontrollably, tears streaking down his face from pure terror. The moment before he awoke was the worst. The sight of that face, the green light engulfing him, the glimpse of his brother's contorted face screaming his name. It was almost too much to bear.

"Fred!"

He lifted his face, only to see a cloud of tangled hair engulfing a dark face. He cried out, throwing himself out of bed, grabbing his wand on the bedside table as he fell to the ground with a thud.

_"Silencio! _Fred, it's okay! It's me."

Fred peeked over his bed. "H-Hermione?"

She was instantly at his side, her hair a mess from sleep, nightgown wrinkled. "Are you okay? Is it the nightmares again?" She threw her arms around him, her motherly instinct kicking in. Fred was slightly embarrassed by the fact that he was shirtless in his boxers, and he could clearly feel her breasts pressed into his shoulder in her awkward hug.

"Yea…um…I'm fine." He pushed her away. "Really. It's no big deal."

"Fred, this is an issue. You've been having these nightmares for a while now. You've got to talk to someone about them. If you don't, you're never going to be able to move on."

He pulled his knees to his chest, his lanky arms doubling around to settle on his ribs. He hadn't been eating lately, Hermione noticed. It didn't help that he was already skinny with a fast acting metabolism. He wouldn't survive like this.

"You're not okay Fred. Here, why don't I get you something to eat." She started to stand, but she was stopped. There was a tug on her nightgown.

"Please…don't leave me alone…"

She looked down at the man sitting before her. The man who had gone through what was almost the worst part of the battle. He was awake the entire time. Awake, listening to the sound of his family mourning him, listening to his brother's screams, his mother's tears. Unable to see Remus and Tonks, laying together, fingers almost brushing. He couldn't move, couldn't comfort those around him.

Hermione sat down next to him. "What do you need me to do?"

He didn't move for a moment, sitting in the darkness next to her. Slowly, he put his head on her shoulder. "Just talk to me."

"About what?"

"…tell me a story."

So she did. The book lying on her bedside table down below in her room had just happened to be the _'The Beatle and the Bard'_. She started telling the story of Babbity Rabbity, her mind creating a world of fantasy to brighten his dark reality. As her mind wandered into the story, she didn't notice when his head slowly made it into her lap. She didn't realize when her hand made it into his hair, stroking the soft strands.

And she didn't realize the moment when, she herself, nodded off into sleep, her mind fading like the rabbit into the forest.

_Yes, very short, but it shall be updated soon. Once again, I'm obsessed, and obsessions never die easily._


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey yall! Chapt 2! Super excited to have three reviews in less than 24 hours! I love reviews, so keep 'em coming!_

_Also, I tend to enjoy shorter chapters, because they're easier to write when I'm out of ideas. So if you guys have anything you want to see, let me know! I'm still not sure how long this fanfiction will be, but we'll see what happens!_

_Enjoy!_

_Once again, J.K. Rowling is a boss, so I could never keep these characters to myself._

When Hermione woke up the next morning, she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. The dream that had been revolving in her mind was almost too good to be true. The smell of warmth and butterbeer surrounded her, and a pair of arms wrapped around her, melting her heart. She pressed herself back against the dream, letting the warm chest behind her create a perfect spoon for her to fit in.

But when she felt the hard ridge on her lower back, she knew something was wrong.

She rolled over slowly, her mind already thinking of things to make herself believe this was a dream, that this wasn't real. But it was too late.

She looked into the face of Fred Weasley. She was in his bed. And his arms wouldn't let her go.

His face was pressed into the pillow, his red hair sticking up in random places from lack of sleep. The dark circles under his eyes only made him look more miserable, but the smile on his face seemed to make them lighten a bit. She smiled, and she couldn't resist rubbing her thumb along his cheekbone.

A hand leaped up and wrapped around her wrist, pressing her palm into his cheek. His eyes were on hers, and she froze.

"Fred?"

He kissed her palm. "Moooorning." A snicker made his eyes glitter a bit, and she almost fell for the Weasley brother.

Fred didn't expect the kick to the floor, his butt hitting the hardwood with a thud.

"Owww! What was that for?"

"That," she said, straightening her nightgown, "was for putting me in your bed without asking me!" She turned to glare at the face that sat on the edge of the bed, resting on muscular arms. Her heart did a little summer sault, but she shook it off. "I was only trying to help you and you took advantage of it."

He put on his best pout, the one that always worked on his mother in the past. But Hermione just glared at him.

He guessed it only worked with his brother beside him.

"Alright," he sighed, standing. "I'm sorry Hermione. I didn't mean to trick you."

"You should be!" she said, feigning crossness. She shook a finger at him, and couldn't hold in her giggles. Feeling like Mrs. Weasley, always scolding her sons, she laughed harder.

She didn't realize how quickly he could walk across a room. Suddenly, her hand was in his again, his lips kissing the inside of her wrist. "But in all honesty, 'Mione…thank you."

Her face turned bright red. She looked up, his face only a second away from taking them both to a place she wasn't ready to go. Yanking away, she almost tripped over the doorframe, leaving Fred standing there, in his boxers, wondering why his heart felt clenched in a grip worse than dementors.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3 yall! Thanks so much for the positive feedback. It keeps me motivated to write more which in turn helps you which in turn helps me, etc etc...so! I know there's nothing too juicy just yet, but I'm getting there...sloooowly. I just hate those stories that go straight into SEX SEX SEX all the time. I figure they need a relationship for a bit. But don't worry! They'll get there! And soon, I shall write something to soothe the savage smexy fremione beast in all of us._

_So, J.K. Rowling, I hope you don't get offended by me borrowing Fred and Hermione for a bit. They're all yours I know, but I just love them so much!_

_Enjoy!_

Hermione had been avoiding him all day. Fred had tried his best to be sneaky and conniving, loving the way she blushed when he brushed her lower back when he walked by, or the way she glared at him when he pulled on one of her curls. It was subtle enough that no one would notice but the two of them in the crowded burrow. It was Christmas after all; the house was packed with people.

Hermione loved the Weasley house at Christmas. The smells, the sounds. Although, the one thing she loved about it more than anything else was the family.

She decided that for the time being, she would let her parents live out the way they were. After all, there were some people who were still in hiding after the Dark Lord's death, waiting to strike on the trio in revenge for their fallen leader. It was a lonely life, but the Weasley's had taken her in like it was nothing, like she had been a member of the family the entire time, born of Mrs. Weasley's womb just as the rest were.

Of course, she helped out as much as she possibly could. Sitting on the couch, reading again the Tales of Beatle Bard (her favorite book now the battle was over), she heard her name over the din of noise surrounding her in the living room.

"HERMIONE! Be a dear and help me a moment!"

She leaped up, rushing to the kitchen, where pots and pans were being held aloft, spoons twirling above them, stirring the contents within. Mrs. Weasley had a bit of flour on her nose…and on her apron…and in her hair. "Mind pulling the rolls out of the oven for me while I put the food on the table?" With a flick of her wand, she poured out corn, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and a green bean casserole into respective dishes lining the large table. How the red headed mother had made a green bean casserole in a pot was beyond Hermione's knowledge.

Mrs. Weasley huffed. "I'd best be getting the group ready and at the table before the turkey's done. You know how long it takes to get them all in here."

Hermione chuckled. "No problem, Mrs. Weasley."

"Now, what did I tell you dearie? Call me Molly or call me mother. Goodness, you make me feel old." She sighed, lifting her apron and tossing a few stray red curls out of her face. "ALRIGHT BOYS AND GIRLS! DINNER!"

Hermione had to laugh, loving the homey feel she got when she spoke to Mrs. Weasley…Molly. She bent down, opened the lid of the old oven, the smell of fresh biscuts wafting over her face.

"Mmmm…smell delicious," she whispered, placing them on the counter.

"Not as delicious as you." Arms wrapped around her waist, startling her.

"Fred!" she gasped. She spun around, realizing that turning was probably a mistake a second too late. She was nose to nose with him, his eyes burning into hers. He turned his face, placed a kiss in the indention right underneath her ear. She shivered against her will. "That was a terribly corny line, Mr. Weasley."

He nibbled on her lobe. "That's where you're wrong. The corn is on the table."

She rolled her eyes, pushing at his shoulders. "Are you alright Fred?"

The questioning look in his eyes had her confused. "Of course I am."

"I just…didn't really notice…I mean…you like me?"

A moment of split shock crossed his face. Then, a second after she thought she might have offended him, he let out a laugh that echoed through the burrow. "I guess I'm a clumsy git after all."

He stepped back, taking her hand in his. "Hermione Granger, I would like to ask for your hand…in dating."

She blinked. "In…dating?"

"Yes. In dating."

The cogs in her mind seemed to creak to a halt. "I…am…what?"

He sighed, looking like a wounded puppy. "I guess I should have told you sooner. I'm sorry. I just…with the battle and Mungo's and all…"

She stopped him. "No! No! It's alright. I was just…surprised! That's all."

His blush made him a little bit more adorable than usual, and Hermione giggled. "Sooo…is that a yes?"

"A yes to what?"

The two turned, only to see a rather angry looking Ron, followed by the rest of the Weasley family, all of them curious as to what was going on.

"A…a yes to Hermione helping George and I in the shop a bit! Right Georgie?"

Whether it was twin telepathy or the pained expression on Fred's face, George got the picture. "Yea! I thought we'd planned on asking her together Fred."

Fred took the opportunity to put an arm around the confused Hermione. "Yea, but she was here, and what can I say, the topic just popped up! Oh well, dinner's ready. LET'S EAT!"

Fred looked at Hermione. Hermione looked at Fred. In the hubbub and chaos, the room stood still for a moment. She nodded. Fred grinned. Fred couldn't remember a Christmas that had been better.

_Cutie cute cute! Keep reviewing yall! Keeps me fanfiction blood pumpin'! Yarg! *random pirate noises*_


	4. Chapter 4

_Wow, I feel like a ninja! This is the fourth chapter in (oh, I dunno) a week? Good Lord, what happened to my life? Oh right...that flew right out the window and was replaced with fremione love._

_So! Chapter 4 now chaps! This shall slowly lead into where they're going...soon enough...BUAHAHAHA!_

_Also, J.K. Rowling, just so you know, I don't plan on killing anyone off, so it's all good if I use Fred and Hermione just a bit more...right?_

_...I'll take that as a yes._

_Right on! Enjoy!_

New Years. A new year to start off a year of peace and prosperity for every wizard and muggle born human. For muggles, they saw it as another new year just like the years that were new before it.

For wizards, however, it was the dawn of a year without Voldemort.

George had insisted they keep Weasley's Wizard Wheezes open New Years Eve. Fred had continuously insisted that no one would show. But that was where he was wrong.

Hermione had never seen so many customers in her life. There were almost a hundred people in the shop. And even though she knew it was bigger on the inside than it was on the outside, it still felt cramped to her. She had to get away.

"Uh!" she muttered, pressing her back against the inside of the nearest door she could find. The room was dark, the smell of pine trees clearing her mind. "Much better. Must be the broom closet." She reached out, searching for a handle of some sort, a mop that might be of use later if a small child accidentally got their hand on the vomit candies again…

"Hermione?" She was suddenly on edge. The light that peeked into the small room disappeared again, leaving her to wonder.

"Fred?" No answer. "Okay Fred, this isn't funny." Still no answer. "Okay, if you don't come out, I _will_ scream. One…two…" she took a large lungful of air.

"Shhhhhh!" Fred placed his hand over her mouth just in time to hear her breath hiss from between his fingers.

She shoved him away again, playfully. "You didn't answer me you twat!"

He pulled her closer. "I couldn't help it. You've got the prettiest voice when you're scared. But not as pretty when you're laughing." As if on cue, he dug his fingers into her sides, causing her to squeal with delight. She tried to shimmy away, only to hit a wall. Something fell of the top shelf, hitting her head. She hissed in pain. "Ouch! Fred, look what you did!"

He froze. "God, I…I'm so sorry." He sounded like he was in pain.

"Fred?"

"I'm so sorry…it's my fault! All my fault!" He began to hyperventilate. She heard him fall to the floor.

"_Lumos!_" The tip of her wand glowed the familiar blue all wizards were accustomed to. Fred was crouched on the ground, the same position he was in that night when she heard his screams. His eyes were dilated, his breath ragged and shallow, like he had been shot. Tears were forming.

"Fred! Fred. It's okay." She sat next to him, pulled him close. "It's okay. Nothing is your fault. You did nothing wrong."

"Yes I did! I shouldn't have-,"

She placed a finger on his lips. "None of that nonsense Fred Weasley. Now look at me." He looked away at the opposite wall. "LOOK AT ME."

Their eyes locked. "Fred Weasley, you have done nothing wrong. You are a strong, amazing man. Don't let what happened in the past take over your future!"

The things he saw in her eyes at that moment were almost more than he could handle. Comfort, warmth, but above those, an everlasting knowledge of the truth. She knew everything. And the words were coming from that pretty little mouth…

"Hermione…" he whispered. "…you…you're…oh bugger it." He latched his mouth to hers.

She was expecting it. Was almost aching for it actually. She let him press into her, the kiss slightly awkward due to their positions sitting on the floor, but the buzz she got from the feeling of his lips pressed to hers, his tongue asking for entrance along her bottom lip…that was a high she would never get down from.

_Yup yup! I can see what's happening...and they don't have a clue...in the midst of the romantic atmosphere, this duo is gonna havesomesexysnogscomingup!_

_Lolz. Lion King._


	5. Chapter 5

_Longer chapter today my loves! Just thought that you guys deserved it considering that it's been a bit since I've updated. Of course, that depends on how long 'a bit' is. A friend of mine hasn't updated in two months and she says she just sits there reading the reviews giggling evilly. Well, as long as you guys are still happy with my writing, that's all that matters!_

_So! You all might hate me at the end of this chapter, but it's pretty good. I just have to find a dark room and the right emotional music to write my smexies in._

_Let me know what you think! VIVA LA PEOPLE! I love opinions of what I could fix or what I could do next! Let me hear ya fans!_

_Okay J.K. Rowling, do you know I'd go total lesbian for you? Cause I would. Oh, and I'm still using your characters. Sorry, I'll give them back later._

_HAVE FUN!_

Fred was happy. No. Fred wasn't happy.

Fred was ecstatic.

He had been walking on clouds since Hermione had said yes to him. He had been so happy that he had failed to see the circles under Hermione's eyes, the strained smile she gave him. The color of her face slowly getting paler and paler.

"Um, Fred?"

Fred turned around from a shelf he was restocking with Bertie Bots Every Flavor Beans. "Yes, my dearest brother! What can I do…for…George?"

George's face was terrifying. He never looked this angry. His eyes were covered by his hair, glowering beneath the red bangs that added a demonic look to the twin's face.

"Have you noticed anything, oh I don't know, different, about your girlfriend?" There was something wrong. Fred hated it when George tested him like this.

"I…um…no? What's going on?"

George gave an exasperated sigh. He grabbed his twin by the shoulders, pushed his ignorant ginger brother toward the door in the back leading to the break room.

"George! What is-,"

"Shhh! Just listen."

The sound of something slamming down on the rickety table in the back broke Fred's struggle against his brother. "Dammit Hermione! Tell me what the hell is going on or I swear-,"

"Ron," her voice sounded strained. "It's…it's nothing."

"You won't kiss me. You won't touch me. Bloody hell Hermione, you won't even shake my hand! I don't understand what's going on!" There was a scuffle. "Why don't you love me?"

"Ron! Let me go! You're hurting me!"

Fred had heard enough. He stormed into the room. "What the bloody hell is going on?"

Ron had Hermione's arms pinned to her side, fingers digging into her hard enough to bruise. Tears were forming in her eyes, her eyes begging for release. She looked at Fred.

"Fred…"

It was barely audible coming off her lips, but it was enough. She didn't even see him move, just watch Ron's face contort, a fist flying in front of her sight. There was a sickening thud of flesh hitting flesh, and she slipped out of Ron's fingers into Fred's waiting arms.

"Are you okay?" Fred kissed the crown of her head, her sobs muffled in his jacket.

"I knew it."

Ron's nose was bleeding. His cheek began to swell where Fred's ring had made contact. "I fucking new it. You took her from me."

Fred, kissing Hermione's forehead one last time before turning her towards George, facing head on the bull of a brother he had. "I didn't take anyone from you. I asked. She said yes. And last time I checked, you don't OWN anyone. Get over yourself, you selfish bloody git."

"I LOVE HER YOU BASTARD!"  
>"WELL SO DO I YOU TWAT!"<p>

The two brothers glared each other down, nostril's flared in the classic Weasley way. Fred looked away first, turning to Hermione and George. "I think you have the right to make the decision. Whatever you do, it's your choice. I'll accept whatever you decide. As for Ron, that's up to him."

The pain on her face was excruciating. She looked from Fred to Ron. Ron, the boy she had known since her first year. The boy with whom she'd kissed in the Chamber of Secrets. She couldn't say that it hadn't happened. But how could she know if it was just pure excitement and joy of destroying a horcrux that had made her reach out to him in that way?

Then there was Fred. Her Fred. That shouldn't have been enough for her. But for some reason, even though Fred had not been that close to her before, she remembered the secret glances she used to share with him. The way he would make faces at her, the way she would giggle at his antics secretly.

She remembered the heartbreak she felt when she saw him laying lifeless on the floor. The tears that fell from her eyes for her fallen…what? What was he to her?

"…Fred."

There was no movement in the room. Ron twitched, wiped the blood from his nose. He barreled out the door like a quarterback. Past George, past Hermione, and out the doors, leaving Hermione's outstretched hand to linger in the air before falling limp at her side. Fred reached out to her, held her close again. He looked at George over her head, and George nodded, shutting the door behind them and leaving them alone to talk.

"Hermione…" he whispered. "How long has this been going on?"

She sniffed. "I d-don't know. A week maybe? He's been catching us and asking what was going on between us, and I-I said he shouldn't worry about it, but he just kept threatening me…"

"Wait, why did you try to hide it from him?"

"I don't know." She pulled away, wrapped her arms around herself. "I…I kissed him once."

"You WHAT?"

"It was in the Chamber of Secrets! After I destroyed the horcrux, it just…well…sort of happened."

Fred sighed. "Well, I wish I had known that." He went to the threadbare sofa in the corner, throwing himself on it in exasperation. "All this…this rubbish, would have made much more sense."

She sat next to him, holding his face in her hands. "I should have told you, and I'm sorry. That's why I felt so guilty. But know that I love you too. And that kiss…I can't say it didn't mean anything for me, but it doesn't feel the same as the way I kiss you. With him, it was all excitement and drama. With you…it's like…" She paused. "It's like flowers in the spring. It's fresh, soft…wonderful."

She crawled into his lap like a child, their arms around each other. "I don't want anyone else Fred."

She kissed him then, a chaste kiss, pulling away before he could claim more. "Say it again," she whispered against his lips.

"I love you 'Mione."

He kissed her forcefully, his fingers weaving their way into their hair. Her mouth opened to him, their bodies meshing. Hermione wasn't sure when she was laying down, Fred on top of her. He kept his weight on his elbows, his hips cradled in hers. She didn't realize till his hand began moving downwards, brushing the valley between her breasts.

"Hermione," he breathed. "You need to tell me to stop now…or something."

She didn't stop him. Instead, she arched her back, pressing herself closer to his waiting hand. "Please."

Fred's dreams had become a reality. This beautiful woman underneath him, pressed against him, giving him everything. And then, suddenly, he realized what he had to do.

He wrapped his arms around her torso, lifted her up so they were facing each other. "Hermione," he kissed her forehead again, loving the blush that came to her already rosy cheeks. "I love you. That's why I stopped." She opened her mouth to reply, but she gasped when he pulled her onto his lap again. "If I love someone, and I haven't loved many, I want to treat them right. I'm not taking you on a couch. I'm taking you in a bed, and I'm treating you like a queen, just the way you should be treated."

She blinked in surprise, her face softening to his goofy smile. "However…corny…that may be, I will accept the terms." She gave him one last lingering kiss, stood, straightening herself out before she walked out the door.

"Hermione." She paused at the door.

"Yes Fred?"

"Do you really love me?"

The soft smile that blossomed on her face made his brain turn to mush. "Of course I do."

_I know! I know. So close, and yet so far! I see myself as people see me, I JUST KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING BIGGER...INFRED'SPANTSOKAYBYE!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Okay folks! As I promised, the chapter that makes this chapter an M rated fanfiction is UUUUUP! I do love me a good romance, and I do love me a good smut every now and then (oh please, like anyone doesn't). Now, to say something awkward, Hermione doesn't have a hymen in this one. I don't like to write about the awkward pain that is losing your virginity, and considering that most girls nowadays lose them without having sex at all, I decided to just make this as awkward free as possible._

_You see what I did there J.K? I helped your characters out a bit. I hope that means I can use them a bit longer...please?_

_Have fun guys! Enjoy!_

_Oh, and review, or else I might just go insane._

The seasons made their rounds about the burrow, moving from winter to spring in the blink of an eye. The field around the newly repaired burrow had turned a mix of green and gold, shimmering in places like a million blinking eyes. Molly Weasley's remarkable garden had flourished, thanks to her 'secret special blend' of fertilizers. Of course, in the midst of her gardening, Hermione could always here her spouting curses at the gnomes that happened to make their way into the garden, pulling up the daisies and tulips.

But even with the cheerful atmosphere, things were still not well in the confines of Fred Weasley's mind. In fact, they had gotten much worse.

Fred had been sleeping poorly as always. No matter how much he thought of Hermione, hoping to make the nightmares disapperate with the thought of her smile, the nightmares only got darker, and his mind deceived him.

It was the same dream he had been having since the battle. But instead, he was standing to the sidelines, watching as Hermione took his place in the dream, the death eater pointing the deadly green glow of his wand toward her. He screamed, but no sound escaped. He struggled against the invisible bonds holding his feet in place.

But he could do nothing.

"Avada Ke-,"

"NOOO!"

He sat bolt upright in bed, sobbing even before he fully awoke.

Her smell hit him before her arms wrapped around his quivering shoulders. He instantly pulled Hermione onto his lap, pinning her head to his chest as he sobbed into her hair. He tried to prove to himself that this was the reality, that she was alive and in his arms where she belonged.

She didn't understand, but she let him clutch her close. She began to hum, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat and remembering the tune her mother used to sing to her when she had nightmares.

"Faire Jaque, faire Jaque, dorme vous, dorme vous…" She continued to hum until his sobbing ceased, his breath evened out, and his heartbeat was no longer galloping out of control. Looking up, she wiped the last remaining tears away from his cheeks. "Better?"

He nodded. "What were you singing?"

"It's called Father John over here. It's traditionally a French song."

"I like it."

She kissed his forehead. "What happened?"

He looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"In the dream. I know it's difficult to talk about, but what happens in the dream?"

The darkness in his face told her that she wouldn't get it out of him tonight. She had best leave it alone for now.

"Never mind. You don't have to say."

He sighed. "Thank you. I'm just…I'm just not ready to talk about it."

"Well I'm here if you need me. I love you, you know."

He smiled, placed a tender kiss on her lips. "I love you too."

They kissed again…and again…and again, neither of them saying what both of them really wanted to hear. _Don't leave me…_

They lay side by side, tongues dancing within the confines of lips, hands roaming through hair, along the lean muscles of back. He wound up on top of her again, his legs between hers, leaving her open and vulnerable to the cold air in the room. Fred looked her in the eye.

"Fred…" her hands shook as she reached for him, pulled his weight onto her. She took his hand, placed it on her right breast. "Love me."

The look in her eyes was more than he could bear. The sweetness of the kisses they had been sharing turned into sparks that licked down her stomach to the aching below. She gasped when he flicked at her nipple, barely visible in the moonlight of her white shirt. He pinched, tugged at it, making her squirm beneath his touch. A sweet warmth filled her belly, aching with desire for what he had.

Her eyes widened in shock as he sucked her nipple into his mouth with almost a bruising force. She opened her mouth to protest, but all that came out was a sigh. She couldn't describe the feeling, the touch of his tongue over the shirt, the feeling of his other hand moving steadily lower.

She pushed him up, locking eyes with him. They both sat staring at each other, on their knees on the rickety bed, the intensity of the moment hitting them both. Hermione made the first move, pulling the dampened shirt over her head. She hadn't worn a bra, and her underwear was simple, but it didn't matter. Not to him, not to her. The only thing that mattered was what was to come.

"Hermione…" He lifted a hand, groped her breast again. "You're beautiful."

She shifted onto his lap, caressing his head as he dipped lower to nibble on her collarbone. Grinding on one another, Fred continued to nibble downward, the bulge in his boxers rubbing up against her sensitive nub. She arched her back, his tongue trailing to her belly button, swirling there. Then he placed her on the quilt again, only to pull her panties down her thighs, revealing the curls of her womanhood.

She wanted to cover herself up. She wanted to crawl under the quilt, hide his eyes from what was between her legs…

But when he removed his boxers, Hermione's thoughts were not her own.

She wanted to touch it, to taste it, to study it the way she would a book. She lifted a hand to stroke it gently, wrapping her fingers around it, watching as Fred's eyes slowly fluttered downward. He was standing to the side of the bed, trying his best to keep the animal inside of him caged. He loved the innocent look in her eyes, the way she toyed with him, examining him. Her small pink tongue licked the tip of him, and his mind snapped.

He pushed her down on the bed sideways, leaping on top of her, pressing his palm into her wet cunny.

"You're so wet Hermione." He pressed a finger in, her passage tightening around it. "So wet and willing."

"F-fred!" she gasped. "I-I'm…"

He pulled her up onto his lap again, adjusting so that the head of him was just inside her. "You take control."

"I-I can't!"

"Yes you can." He kissed her lips. "Just slide down…slowly…ahhhh…"

She did as she was told, his manhood filling her slowly. She circled her hips, the groan escaping his lips bringing her a sense of power she'd never felt before. She rose up slowly again, fell, the steady rhythm of her heart making out the beat of her thrusts. It was almost tribal, the way they mated. The way their breaths mingled together, the way their lips and tongues met in not quite complete kisses, leaving their skin damp to the touch. She held him close as the heat began to take control, as their movements became faster and faster with each stroke.

Her orgasm came in an unexpected flash, his finger pinching her clit before she had time to realize what he was doing. Her walls clenched to an almost painful degree, her eyes squeezing shut as her body convulsed in ecstasy. He growled, thrusting into her a few more times before calling out her name, a sound she would not soon forget.

Their breathing was ragged, eyes closed as they collapsed on each other, laying down before finally falling into an exhausted sleep, arms and legs tangled in a sweaty mess. Fred had enough energy to pull the quilt out from under them, pulling it up under Hermione's chin. He kissed her forehead, looking at his new beautiful lover next to him.

That night, the nightmares left him alone.

_PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! Even if it's to say "Good Job" or "Eew" I'll love it! Hakuna Matata yall!_


	7. Chapter 7

_PLOT, GLORIOUS PLOT! OH, J.K. Rowling, you God writer among God writers, aren't you so proud of me?_

_I kid you not, I was in the shower, thinking about something completely random, like Scandinavian death metal, when all the sudden my shampoo hit me in the eye. Right then and there, as I was cursing obsenities in a communal college shower, I realized something. A PLOT FOR MY FREMIONE FIC!_

_I was so excited, I literally screamed, "I HAVE IT!" Thus scaring the poor girl in the shower next to mine._

_But, that's beside the point, I HAVE A FUCKING PLOT!_

_I'm super excited guys, because, as far as I know, this is going to be an insane plot. Hell, when I was thinking about it, I was wondering if it was a bit TOO different, like people would start to think I was sniffing crack or something._

_...well, I might be BUT ANYWAYS..._

_Enjoy guys! If you have ANYTHING to say about it, even if you're thinking about it as your mouse is slowly cruising towards a new tab, WRITE ME A REVIEW DAMMIT!_

The next night followed the same way as the first time. And the night after that, and the night after that. They had practically perfected the silence charm and the contraception charm, and when they were spent, laying underneath the sweaty sheets and holding each other as if the world were ending, they would talk about everything. Past memories, work, what they thought the future would be like.

Hermione didn't want to work for the ministry, not trusting it after the previous overthrow. She saw how simple it had been to take a few death eaters, put them in the right place, and have the entire ministry in their hands. She wanted to be a muggle lawyer, using her magic only for research in helping the wizard community.

Fred, well, Fred was happy with his shop, and that was all he wanted.

As the sun rose above the Weasley house on a mild June morning, Fred woke to the same sight that kept his nightmares at bay. Hermione's hair was a tangled blonde cloud above her head, her lips slightly parted, the smallest bit of pink tongue sticking out between her teeth. Her eyes were clenched shut, as if she were trying to milk every last second out of her sleep. He kissed her forehead.

"C'mon sleepyhead. Time for work!"

She rolled over, groaned. "Nooooo…"

He sat up, clapped his hands together over his head. "Then you give me no choice!" He held his index fingers above his head, like guns. "I'ma givin' you one last chance little lady."

She glanced at him over her shoulder. "You wouldn't dare…"

He pounced on her, jabbing both index fingers on either side of her. She squealed, rolling out of the bed, taking all of the sheets with her. Through his rib vibrating laughter, he could hear the growl of what sounded like a mother bear from the other side of the bed. "You had better start running." She leaped onto her feet, grabbed a pillow. "Fred Weasley, your bum is mine!"

"Well we know that!" he laughed, which earned him a smart smack with the pillow. "Ah!"

She chased him about the room, thwacking him with the pillow as he ducked for cover in the closet. Their antics were interrupted with a familiar roar from downstairs.

"WHAT THE BLAZES IS GOING ON UP THERE?"

Hermione stuck her head out the door. "Nothing Mrs. Weasley! Fred's just being a git!"

"Fred! Stop tearing the house down!"

"SHE STARTED IT!" he yelled from the closet.

Downstairs, Molly Weasley rolled her eyes. "Quit buggering Hermione and get ready for work! Have yer own business and all and still livin' with your mother! What will the ladies think?"

Molly Weasley was not, in fact, oblivious of what was going on with the two of them. In fact, her motherly intuition noticed the smiles they were giving each other, the moments they were both gone at the same time, and when they came back they looked like a windstorm had howled through the valley.

She was all too aware of it. She just did her motherly duty and said nothing. She was happy that she didn't hear Fred's cries of torture in the middle of the night anymore. They were starting to give her her own nightmares.

Molly smiled at the secret snicker they shared, the sound of the shower overhead. The burrow was beginning to stir, and as she flipped through the mail, she put her hopes on all her fortune that her full house wouldn't empty too quickly.

Something caught her eye. The ministry's mark. They hadn't gotten a letter from the ministry in over a year. Anxiety crept into her throat as she opened the parchment, gave it a swift lookover.

"FRED!" she cried. "COME DOWN HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

Fred, only half dressed, clambered down the stairs, pulling up his pants as he went. "I know yer mad at me, but there's no need to shout-,"

"No no no! Not that! Here!" She thrust the parchment into his hands. "It's the ministry! They're coming tomorrow!"

* * *

><p>The family was huddled around the table that evening for an emergency 'family' meeting. Harry, Ginny, George, Fred, Hermione, Ron, Molly and Arthur sat awkwardly for a moment, the silence deafening in the large, and usually boisterous room.<p>

"Oh Fred, please don't go," Ginny begged. "It's the ministry!"

Fred sighed. "I know…"

"Now Fred," Molly replied. "This is your decision. Don't let any of us tell you what to do. If you want to go to this new…thing…at Saint Mungo's, then that's your right."

"No brother of mine is going into some brain washing facility without me!"

"George, this is Fred's choice-,"

"I agree with George Mom," Ron said. "Even though Fred is a selfish twat."

"Ron!" Hermione glared him down.

"It's been almost six months Ron! Get over yerself!" George yelled back at his younger brother.

There was a scuffle as Ron almost leaped over the table at George, Harry breaking his trajectory. Suddenly, a booming voice, only heard by few in the Weasley household, shook the room.

"_ENOUGH!"_

The room was silent. Arthur Weasley stood, hands firmly placed on the carved wooden table, his face almost the same color red as his hair. "This has nothing to do with your reproductive systems and everything to do with Fred! Now, I don't care what is going on between the lot of you, but we are going to start this as a family and we are going to END this like a family. Do you understand?"

The group nodded, even Molly Weasley. Even she, being married to him for as long as she had, had only seen this side of her husband a handful of times.

"If you don't mind me saying Fred," Hermione finally muttered, glancing at him, and with his approving look, continued, "if you do this study, you'd be helping the wizarding world as a whole. I mean, you are the only other person besides Harry to have survived the killing curse-,"

"And believe me, it's not easy," Harry said, trying to relieve tension.

"-and if it doesn't take too long, you'll be home in no time!" She smiled, doing her best to give off the impression that he should go.

"…and if it does take a while?"

She sighed. "Then that is a sacrifice that I, all of us, will be willing to make."

Fred looked down at the parchment in his hands. _St. Mungo's Psychiatric Facility._ It sounded terrible. Even the smiling witch and wizard on the front in their lab robes couldn't quell the wrenching feeling in his stomach.

"I'll think about it." He muttered. He stood, his face darkening. "I'm not feeling too well. I'll be going to bed now. G'night."

The group watched Fred climb the stairs to his room. He had left the pamphlet on the table.

"So the ministry is really coming tomorrow?" Harry asked. Molly nodded.

"Thanks for giving us warning," Ginny mumbled. Harry grabbed her hand under the table, squeezed in comfort.

"Well, we had best be ready for them," Molly huffed. "Whether or not we want them here isn't going to stop them from coming."

"I'll go talk to him," said George. "Hermione, do you mind?"

She shook her head, her body numb. Looking over at the parchment underneath the pamphlet on the table, she read it over and over again, wishing the words would just disappear. _I don't want him to leave. I don't want him to be a lab rat…_

"Why'd you tell him to go?"

Hermione jumped from her daydream with a start. Realizing that it was only Ron and herself in the room, she stood, suddenly nervous.

"I…better…get to bed."

"Hermione…I'm sorry."

She stopped halfway up the stairs, looking down at the poor ginger boy at her feet.

"I…I never meant to hurt you and all, and I was just hoping we could still be…ya know, friends." He held out his hand.

She smiled, grabbed his hand. "That would be lovely."

"Mind if we still talk for a bit?"

She looked him over, still unsure of him. He put his hands in his pockets. "Oh c'mon Hermione, don't look at me like a rapist."

Sighing, she sat on the smooth wood of the table, scratching at the flaking nail polish on her fingers. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Why did you want him to go?"

She didn't respond at first, wasn't sure what to say. "Well, I guess, like I said, it will be good for the wizarding community, and-,"

"Bullshit."

Hermione glared at him. "It is not!"

"You want him to stay as much as the rest of us want him to." He looked down at his shoes. "And even though he stole you away from me, he's still my brother, and I don't want him in the hands of those bastards down there, even if it's been 'reformed.' Load of crock if you ask me."

"Ron, Fred didn't steal me away. I went to him. And you're right." She hugged herself. "I don't want him to go. Something about it…it doesn't seem right."

They heard footsteps coming down the stairs. "Hermione?" It was George. "Oh, sorry. You busy?"

Ron shook his head. "It's fine. Fred doing better?"

George looked at Hermione. "He wants you."

She nodded. Looked at Ron. "Thanks."

"For what."

She gave him a brief hug, Ron's arms not even making it around her before she pulled away. "For coming back."

The feeling she had when she walked up the stairs was a mix of sadness and respect. Sadness for the friend who would never see her as just a friend, and the respect of knowing that he was willing to try.

With that knowledge in mind, she walked up the stairs to the one who needed her the most.

_I love writing. It doth sooth the savage Scandinavian deathmetalist. Ahh well...NO CHANCE, NO WAY, I WON'T SAY I'M IN LOOOOOOOVE!_


	8. Chapter 8

_**UPDATED! BUAHAHA! Guys, I have a feeling this fanfiction is going to be long and tedious. Like, serious research kind of shit. I cannot wait until pottermore comes out, that will be a MUCHO HELPO. I felt so stupid having to look up the Minister of Magic after the Battle at Hogwarts. Thank God for Wikipedia right!**_

_**I'M SORRY J.K.! I WILL NEVER DISAPPOINT YOU AGAIN! DON'T USE THE TORTURE CURSE ON ME!*cringe***_

_**So! Things are going to be rather entertaining from this point on. I have absolutely no idea what to do, but! What I do need are a few sinister sounding names for the future. Let me know if you have some good ones, and maybe, if you're feeling really creative, give me a few personality traits! I might just start a character club!**_

_**Woop Woop! Have fun guys!**_

The next morning, Hermione's eyes opened to a haze of darkness. Her mind realized there was something wrong when Fred's usual tangled batch of red hair wasn't next to her.

The next thing she realized was the soft thrumming of the shower running above her. An oddity for Fred, due to the fact that he usually didn't get up until noon. Seven thirty in the morning, to be exact. She rolled over, wrapping the sheet around her naked self. She had forgotten how cold the Burrow could be without the warmth of another human being next to her.

The smell of soap came down the hall as she walked up the steps towards the bathroom, the faint snoring from the adjoining rooms casting a peaceful spell about her. What would it be like, not hearing his ragged breath in her ear at night? Not feeling his warm chest on her back? The tears almost fell, but she stopped them before she hit the bathroom door. _He needs me to be strong,_ she thought. _So I'll be strong for him._

She opened the door, knowing that he was there, his silhouette outlined in the shower curtain. He was leaning against the wall, arms outstretched, his back releasing tense muscles under the stream of hot water. His head hung low, letting the water sluice over him.

The sheet slipped off her shoulders to the tiled floor, forgotten. She pushed the curtain aside, climbed in the claw foot tub with him. Wrapping her arms around his torso, she held him close. "Whatever you're thinking, I will love you, no matter what you decide."

He shivered. "Hermione…do you think we fell into this too fast?"

She lifted her head, trying to hide the hurt inside her. "Fred. Look at me." He turned around slowly, but even though he wouldn't look her in the eye, she cupped his face, made him look. "Love is love Fred. I loved you before you asked. And when I saw you in the battle, when I saw you dead, I thought I was going to rip in two. But now you're alive," she whispered. "And when I think of how close I was to losing you, I thank all the powers that be that you're here with me."

Fred could see the redness in her eyes, the tears invisible in the shower. She looked like a mermaid standing in front of him, her hair gleaming wet, her body as beautiful as if it had been made of pearls.

"I…Hermione, I'm so scared." He pulled her close to him, pressed his face in her hair. "I don't know what to do. All I know is that I want you to come with me." He kissed her forehead, her eyes, her nose. "I love you."

"I know you do."

* * *

><p>The awkwardness that filled the main room of the burrow that afternoon could have been cut with the sword of Gryffindor. Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister of Magic himself, was surrounded by gingers, Harry, and Hermione in a small room. Bill and Fleur had used floo powder that morning to support Fred, as well as Percy, to Molly's dismay. She exclaimed, "I just got the carpets cleaned!"<p>

Now they were sitting in all about the room, completely swarming the Minister. He began to sweat, sipping his tea silently as Fred read through the documents thoroughly, Hermione reading over his shoulder.

Shacklebolt coughed. "He will be watched twenty four seven by someone from the ministry. We ourselves have inspected the facility and note that it is in top condition. There is nothing to be worried about Mr. Weasley."

Fred looked up. "When can people visit?" He squeezed Hermione's hand.

"With the security of the place, not very often. The facility has a strict rule on visitors due to the several dangerous cases. They are highly secured however, so you won't have to be dealing with them."

Ron sniffed, hiding in the corner. "I still don't trust this rubbish."

"It's not your decision," Bill said calmly. "It's Fred's."

The minister could sense the tension in the family. "I'm terribly sorry that this has come as such a surprise to you, but if I may. The things we could learn from you, Mr. Weasley, would be phenomenal. We could study Mr. Potter here, but we know exactly why he survived. You, on the other hand, are a special case. In fact, you were not 'involved' with Miss Granger here until just recently. Therefore, we have no idea how you survived. If we could learn the reasons for your living, then we could cure this curse for good! Get the word out to wizards everywhere!"

Fred had heard it before in his head. Over and over he had thought of the good he would be doing for the wizarding world, what he would be doing for everyone who had been killed by the curse before him. Tonks, Lupin, even Mad Eye. But something held him back. Something scared him about this place. Being treated like a mental case had him completely nervous. He looked at Hermione, the understanding in her eyes. He could tell she didn't want him to go…

But it was what he had to do.

"Okay."

The minister stood from his seat, grabbed his hand. "Thank you Mr. Weasley, thank you! Of course, your family will not have to pay a cent since you are a volunteer for this. I will notify the ministry right away." He almost skipped to the fireplace, he seemed so pleased. "You will report to the ministry two days from now at 3 o'clock sharp!" And with that, Shacklebot disappeared in a cloud of green smoke.

Fred was in the process of signing the last of the paperwork when George reached out, grabbed the pen from his hands, and threw it across the room. "NO!"

Fred only looked up at his brother, a calm strength in him that no one had seen since the battle. "I have to Georgie. Don't worry. I'll be fine." He had a calm smile on his face, that only made his twin cry harder.

George was suddenly surrounded by his brother's arms, then Percy's, Ron's, Bill's and Ginny's in unison. Arthur and Molly's eyes welled with prideful tears. The siblings had always had a strong bond between each other. Their fights had been rough, their times of play even rougher, but when it came down to it, they were there for each other. No matter what.

* * *

><p>That night, Fred began to pack in a fog, his mind not settling on one thing or another, but drifting to flickers of thoughts within his mind. Hermione watched him from the doorway, watching his trance as he moved from the closet to his suitcase on the bed.<p>

He barely noticed when she sat down next to the case, folding some of the clothes that had been casually tossed in. "You fit more things in this way," she said.

Fred's haze didn't lift, but more shifted toward her. He pulled her close, pressed his lips firmly to hers. It was a searing kiss that started at her toes, melting the smallest bones in her feet, moving to her calves, her thighs, and up to the top of her head. She had enough energy to pull her wand out of her pocket, flick it at the door.

The door closed, latched with a little click, and the room was silent except for the soft sighs of the two lovers.

Fred wanted to make her feel beautiful. Make her feel the way he saw her. He pressed his face into her hair, taking in the scent of her shampoo. He kissed at her collarbone, that jutted just enough to make her beautifully angled. Ran his tongue around her belly button, loving the little dip in her stomach.

And when he finally reached her at her core, rubbing his palm gently against her, she all but moaned, the orgasm taking her slowly and gracefully to a peak she had never felt before. It brought her to tears.

He pulled her close before entering her, looked her in the eye before taking her one last time. Their coupling was slow and passionate, the moans between them creating a rhythm that picked up speed until the final crescendo, leaving them both panting and breathless, tangled in each other as they slowly fell into a peaceful sleep.

**_Dawwwwwwwwwwww...I know, I know, I didn't really leave you with a good detailed sexual ending, BUT I was going for a more Nora Roberts type of sex scene. She's a boss. I CAN SHOW YOU THE WORLD. TAKE YOU AUTHOR BY AUUUTHOR. ROBERTS, ESSEX AND FREEHAN, ON A MAGIC SEXY RIDE. A WHOLE NEW WOOOOOOORLD!_**


	9. Chapter 9

_Sup yall! So, after getting royally pissed about Google Chrome NOT loading fanfiction for me, I am now a firefox follower. There was only so much fanfiction withdrawl I could go through. I bet J.K. Rowling had the Scotland Yard block me on Google. Well take that! BUAHAHAHA!...But really J.K., if you hate my fanfiction that much, just give me a jingle. I will more than gladly take a call from the goddess of writing herself._

_But anyway!_

_This chapter is where the plot actually comes in. I introduce one or two more characters, and I'm actually thinking this fanfiction is going to be good!_

_WHAT? ANNE? A GOOD FANFICTION? NO WAY!_

_Yes, yes, a shock to us all, but we'll see what happens! And keep those reviews rolling! I love me a good review!_

* * *

><p>The walls were primed white and painted from his waist down a light beige. It was supposedly to give the hospital a sense of cheery welcome.<p>

Fred Weasley felt far from cheery.

That morning, his mother had insisted the entire family go with him to the hospital to see him settled in. If that wasn't embarrassing enough, his mother was hassling the nurse who was giving them the tour with bickering questions like, "How many meals a day will he get?", and "When does he get to go outside?" It was rather irritating for everyone.

Hermione clutched his hand tighter as they got closer to his room. He squeezed back, trying not to think too much about what he would have to do.

"And this is your room Mr. Weasley." The nurse was a woman with a black curly mane that had been pulled out of her face into a messy bun. "There are to be no pictures on the wall, although frames on the windowsill will do just fine. We wash sheets and laundry every other week." She checked another marker off of her list. "Lunch is at noon, and dinner is at 5 o'clock, but you can come at any time you wish as long as you come back before the cafeteria closes." She stood there for a moment, shifted when all of the eyes continued to stare. "I'll leave you all to chat here for a moment. I have one other thing I have to check on." She flitted out of the room, almost as if the entire family wasn't there with brooding questions about the place.

Fred took a look around his room. The walls were light blue, white sheets and a navy comforter on the bed. A small desk with a lamp sat under the window, which looked down into the back of the facility where there was a small garden with a pond, which Mrs. Weasley had found 'lovely'. To Fred, all of it seemed a bit too cheerful for his own good, especially since he was practically selling himself off like a lab rat.

"Well!" Molly dropped herself onto Fred's bed. "This is a lovely place, don't you think Arthur?"

Arthur only nodded. Most would believe that Fred and George's temperament was more like their mothers. On the contrary, George was more like his father, quite when things became stressful. Fred was more often than not trying to soothe over an awkward silence with a joke that was usually inappropriate at the time.

But something was amiss with the twin. It was as if the brother's had swapped places. George was talking rather rapidly to his brother, telling him about the golf course that was right next door, the 'amazing' food that he'd be able to gorge on, the hot nurses that were flitting about.

"Hey, didn't we see that girl when Beauxbattons came to Hogwarts?"

Fred only shrugged as the blonde nurse passed. His face was solemn and quiet the entire time. Since they had entered the doors of the facility, Fred had not said a single word to anyone, not even Hermione.

Hermione was scared. Not just scared.

Terrified.

She hadn't been this scared since the battle, and she didn't like the look on Fred's face that morning. Waking up to his face had always been the highlight of her day besides falling asleep next to him. That morning, however, she had awoken to him lying next to her, a look of sadness imprinted in his eyes as he pushed a strand of hair out of her face. She pressed his hand to her cheek, but he only pulled away, began listlessly tossing his clothes back into the suitcase they had thrown on the floor the night before.

She knew he was in pain, understood that he was just as scared about what would happen to him, even more so than they were. She just wished that he would say something.

"Sorry about that!" The nurse walked back in again. She checked one other thing off her list, pulling on her shirt sleeve as she did so. "Now, I'm terribly sorry, but you all must make your goodbyes now. You can part with them in the lobby."

* * *

><p><em> "Good. And you're sure that's the right one?"<em>

_ "Definitely sir. He's the right brother."_

_ The dark room was lit only by the screens of the security cameras in the hospital. The man in the chair turned, overcome by the shadow in the room. His glasses reflected the light, sending a shiver up the nurse's spine._

_ "Is there anything else I can do sir?"_

_ He waved his hand. "Get the family out of here." He chuckled to himself. "As soon as they leave, we can get started."_

* * *

><p>George held his twin close, holding back the tears that were threatening to escape. But the Fred he knew would only make fun of him for it. So he didn't cry, new that that's what Fred would want.<p>

Finally, Fred spoke. "Keep your head up Georgie. I'll be fine."

George nodded. Stepped back. "Okay Freddie. Okay."

Finally, he turned to Hermione. Her eyes were already red and puffy from crying. "'Mione…"

She reached for him, buried her face into his shoulder. "Don't say goodbye. Please." Her voice was muffled.

Pressing his face into her hair, he smelled the flowers on her. "Then what do you want me to say."

"Tell me you love me one last time?" she sniffed.

He kissed her ear, her cheek, then finally, her lips. Those soft lips that had given him so much comfort in the past. Those lips which he had only started to memorize with his own. "I won't." He kissed her again. "I won't stop telling you, Hermione Granger, that I love you more than anyone can say, and there's nothing I want more than to be with you."

And with that, he released her, watched her turn towards the open arms of his family, and watched as one by one, they left him.

* * *

><p>He had been lying in bed for over an hour. His sobs had mellowed into slight quivers every now and then, and his face had become stone still. She looked at her paperwork again, her face showing no signs of sympathy. Or at least trying. Mariabella Frontaine, a simple nurse at a home for the mentally challenged, was, on the outside, a simple young woman just trying to get through her schooling. She watched Fred Weasley through the enchanted looking glasses that hung on the walls, meant to watch the patients wherever they went.<p>

He was scheduled to meet the doctors that afternoon at 4:30 exactly to have his physical for the tests ahead. After, he would sign the paperwork that would give him a better idea of what was to be 'expected' of him as the experimentee.

When Maria looked up from her paperwork, she was surprised to see him staring straight at her, as if he knew the enchantment was there, his eyes empty and hollow. Her heart began to reach out to the poor man. He had gone through so much in such a short time, more than most wizards ever go through within their entire lives.

But the way his eyes had darkened when that young girl had walked out the door, the way his body had curled in on itself, the man looked like the life had been drained right out of him.

Maria shivered at the thought. _"Best not to think about that right now,"_ she whispered in her mind. _"God I need a smoke."_

Looking back one last time at the boy in the glass, she walked out of the security office, curving to the right towards the receptionist's desk. Nancy Mulligan, an old, bitter woman who had been there longer than Maria dare imagine, gave her a glare as she passed her charts along to her.

"Takin' a smoke break Nancy. Be back in fifteen."

"Make that five young lady! I can't take care of your patients for you! No wonder you failed your exams…"

Maria only shrugged off the old woman's hagging as she opened the door to the stairwell that would take her to the roof.

She had always loved the roof. She loved the feeling of the sun on her olive skin. She let her hair down, let the wind blow through the dark strands as she pulled the hidden blunt out of her pocket, lit it with a small incantation. Letting the smoke fill her lungs, she felt the jitters of her assignment wash away. The joint only did so much though. What her uncle was making her do, to a complete stranger, was almost too much for her to understand.

But she under stood money, and at this point, she was desperate.

"Didn't someone say that smoking is bad for you?" She felt as if she had been caught by the snake in Eden. A leather clad arm wrapped around her waist, pressed her up against a cold, padded body.

She tried to stomach her nausea. "Let me go." The dark voice was at her ear, the smell of chewing tobacco filling her nose.

"Tut tut tut. The little mudblood has a tongue."

Maria turned, only to be pressed into his chest, his mouth forcefully pressed on to hers.

Her knee came up swiftly into his groin, making him fall to the graveled earth with a shuddering groan.

"Do that again and I'll castrate you."

The man grunted. His gray eyes glared up at her. "You little bitch."

"Just because you're my uncle's…henchman or whatever, gives you no right to lay a hand on me Viper." Maria picked her blunt up off the ground, lit it again. She turned her back to the slimy man behind her, but kept an ear on his movements. "What do you want?"

"Your uncle wants you. It's about time we started on this kid." The chuckle behind her made her cringe. "I can't wait to start."

Viper was a man of bad grammar and bad hygiene. His greasy blonde hair was pulled back, his teeth always yellow with flecks of tobacco in them. But he was the best in security, always right behind her uncle at every possible moment.

Now he stood behind her, waiting for her to follow him.

"I'll be there in a minute. Let me finish this." Her voice was firm, and she hoped that would be enough to fend off the man…for now.

He glared into her back. "Fine. I'll tell him you're fuckin' the laundry boy."

She laughed. "Oh please, do."

The satisfying sound the metal door made behind her made Maria smile a bit. She tossed the blunt over the edge of the roof, watching it pitter to the ground. Looking along the horizon, she wanted to fly, to forget the money, forget life and reality, and get away from the darkness around her.

But the darkness called, and there was nothing she could do for Fred Weasley.

* * *

><p><em>*gasp* NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Horrible cliff hanger, I know, but it'll get better! I have plans! It'll be GREAT!<em>

_And don't you just love Maria? She's all like, "LETS GET DOWN TO BUSINESS, TO SMOKE WEED, AND CRUMBLEUNDERMYUNCLE'SREIN..." I think it's funny how I think that if I just squeeze the words together to make one big word...they'll actually fit..._


End file.
